Press releases

The latest news from ATPE

ATPE is the voice of more than 100,000 Texas public educators. See how we are making headlines in these recent press releases.

ATPE weighs in on Texas Attorney General’s opinion on school district activities meant to encourage voting by employees, students01/17/2018
Earlier today, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton issued a non-binding opinion (KP-0177) at the request of Sen. Paul Bettencourt (R-Houston) regarding school district activities meant to encourage voting by school employees and eligible students. The Association of Texas Professional Educators (ATPE) was one of several groups that weighed in on the request through correspondence with the Opinion Committee, which Paxton invited from interested stakeholders. Below is a statement on behalf of ATPE regarding the attorney general’s opinion.

H-E-B teacher awarded $5,000 as Educator of the Year07/25/2017
Christopher Adams, a fifth-grade teacher from Hurst-Euless-Bedford ISD, was recently honored with the Elementary Educator of the Year Award from the Association of Texas Professional Educators (ATPE). Adams was presented with the award, plus a $5,000 check, at the 2017 ATPE Summit Awards Banquet held at the Austin Convention Center on July 11.

Mesquite ISD Superintendent named ATPE Administrator of the Year07/25/2017
Dr. David Vroonland, Mesquite ISD superintendent, was recently honored with the 2017 Administrator of the Year Award from the Association of Texas Professional Educators (ATPE). Vroonland was presented with the award at the 2017 ATPE Summit Awards Banquet held at the Austin Convention Center on July 11.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott released his plans for a special legislative session that would begin July 18. The Association of Texas Professional Educators (ATPE) is concerned that several education-related issues on the governor’s agenda could hurt Texas public schools, despite the governor’s support for raising teacher pay.

Texas Governor Calls for Special Session Attacking Teachers06/06/2017
Rumors of a special session were put to rest today after Gov. Greg Abbott’s announcement in his press conference. Abbott stated that anti-teacher payroll deduction legislation would be included in the special session call. The state’s largest educator group, the Association of Texas Professional Educators (ATPE), is urging legislators to oppose this shameful attack on public school employees.

The end of the school year is a great time to say "thank you" to your child’s teacher. Parents may wonder what gifts are appropriate. The Association of Texas Professional Educators (ATPE) shares these guidelines for giving your child’s teacher a gift

Senate Ed. Committee to hear Patrick’s Voucher Bills Tuesday03/18/2017
“As the state’s largest educator association, we will do everything in our power to oppose Senate Bill 3,” ATPE Executive Director Gary Godsey said. “Why would anyone want to redirect taxpayer dollars to private schools and homeschools, which aren’t held to the same accountability standards as public schools? Voucher bills allow private schools to take taxpayer money and still deny admission to students. Let’s focus our time and energy on improving the only system that supports all kids, regardless of their race, religion, or zip code—the public school system.”

Hundreds of Texas Teachers Head to the Capitol 03/02/2017
“Attending ATPE at the Capitol is a great way for Texas educators to learn more about public education’s new leadership and funding challenges,” ATPE Executive Director Gary Godsey said. “Here they’ll have the opportunity to connect with their elected officials and tell lawmakers about the needs of Texas students and teachers.”

Anti-Teacher Bill to be Heard on Monday02/09/2017
“These bills single out teachers by taking away their rights, while protecting the dues-deduction rights of other public employees, such as firefighters, EMS workers, and police officers,” ATPE Executive Director Gary Godsey said. “The legislators supporting these bills are trying to shut teachers up, and we won’t stand for it. How teachers spend their paycheck should be their decision and theirs alone".

State’s Largest Educator Group Weighs In on DeVos’s Confirmation 02/08/2017
With a 51-to-50 vote, the Senate confirmed Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Education today. This was an historic event, as Vice President Mike Pence made the tiebreaking vote. The state’s largest educator group, the Association of Texas Professional Educators (ATPE), offered its reaction to DeVos’s newly acquired position as education secretary.

ATPE Weighs In on State of the State01/31/2017Texas Governor Greg Abbott addressed some key public education issues in his State of the State address today. The state’s largest educator group, the Association of Texas Professional Educators (ATPE), offered its reaction to the priorities outlined by the governor. While ATPE appreciates the governor’s interest in solving some problems facing Texas, the organization also has a few concerns with Abbott’s stated goals, which included enabling private school vouchers and limiting payroll deduction for teachers.

SXSWedu Pairs Up with Local Educator Association for 201701/18/2017
The Association of Texas Professional Educators (ATPE) is proud to announce our partnership with SXSWedu, an annual conference and festival focusing on innovations in learning. ATPE will offer continuing professional education (CPE) credits for educators who attend specific sessions.